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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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OF 



THE JNEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



TO THE 



HONOURABLE THE LEGISLATURE 



OF THE 



8TATE OF NEW- YORK 



NEW-YORK 
PRINTED BY C. S. VAN -WINKLE. 

NO. 122 WATER-STREET. 




1S14. 



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jTo /Ae Honourable the Legislature of the State 
of Nerv- York, the Memorial of the New- 
York Historical Society, 

MOST RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS, 

That this institution was established for the 
purpose of acquiring and promoting a knowledge 
of the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical his- 
tory of America, and more particularly of this 
state. The attainment of objects so various, com- 
prehensive, and important, requiring such exten- 
siveness of information, such profundity of re- 
search, such exertion of industry, and such libe- 
rality of expense, is unquestionably beyond the 
means and the faculties of any individual, however 
he may be endowed with the gifts of fortune and 
genius, and whatever may be the extent of his en- 
terprize, activity, and influence. Associations, com- 
prehending a mass of information and talent, and 
embracing not only the disposition, but the ability. 



to promote knowledge, are essentially necessary 
to crown with success any important undertaking 
of this nature. With these motives, and for these 
objects, this society was formed. A liberal and 
enlightened legislature, justly appreciating its im- 
portance, granted it a charter of incorporation, 
and it now only remains for them to complete the 
important work which has received their approv- 
ing voice, by an extension to this society of a por- 
tion of that munificence which, we are proud to 
say, characterizes the legislature of this state. 

During the short period of the existence of this 
society, we have devoted no inconsiderable portion 
of time, attention, and money, to collect books, 
pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, medals, and other 
materials which may tend to illustrate and com- 
plete the great outlines of our history. This col- 
lection, on account of the number, the variety, and 
the rarity of its objects, may be safely valued at 
ten thousand dollars. If in the infant state of the 
society, without public patronage, and without any 
other excitement than a desire to be useful, as hum- 
ble contributors to the great stock of human know- 
ledo-e, we have been able to accomplish so much, 
what might we not effect if public bounty should 
be united with individual contribution, and if the 



countenance of the leoislaiurc should stamp a va 
lue upon our researches, and enable us to dispel 
the cloudswhich envelop the history oi our coun- 
try. 

It is well known to your honourable body, thai 
America has been settled principally by the Eng- 
lish, the Dutch, the French, the Spaniards, and the 
Portuguese. The Swedes at one period planted a 
colony on the Delaware. The Danes, also, have 
occupied islands in the West Indies ; and several 
islands between Asia and America derive their 
]>opulation from Russia and its dependencies. How 
important, and how necessary is it to procure the 
books Avhich have been written in those countries 
illustrative of the affairs of America. It is well 
known, that many manuscripts are buried in the 
archives of state, or in the libraries of public bo- 
dies, which might be transcribed, and which would 
shed new light on our history. The Bibliotheca 
Americana, published in England, imperfect as it 
is, indicates what invaluable and unexplored trea- 
sures for oiu' historians may be obtained in that 
country. 

But we would beg leave to solicit the attention 
of the legislature more particularly to the history 
of this state. It is unnecessary to descant upon the 



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(inperfeciions of its natural history. Whole de- 
partments of this science have been almost entirely 
neglected ; the powers of observation and investi- 
gation have not been applied to elucidate and ex- 
plore them ; the destructive hand of time is rapid- 
ly sweeping into oblivion many important objects 
of inquiry ; and what might now with facility be 
rescued from oblivion, the flight of a few years will 
place beyond the reach of human power. 

The civil history of this state may be divided 
into four parts : 

1. When occupied by the aborigines. 

S. When under the government of the Dutch, 
which was about half a century. 

3. Its state under England, which continued 

about one hundred and twelve years, and 
which includes the proprietary government 
of the Duke of York, and its government 
under the kings of Great Britain, excepting 
about sixteen months, when it was repos- 
sessed by the Dutch. 

4. And lastly, its political existence as a member 

of an independent government. 
Before the lapse of many years, the remnant of 
the Indian nations which now inhabit the state, will 
experience the fate of all sublunary things. The 



few antiquities of the country ; the forts and the 
tumuli, which may now be easily explored, will be 
effaced by the extension of cultivation. The na- ^v. 

tural history of the man of America, disfigured 
and perverted as he has been by European inter- 
course, may still be obtained to a considerable ex- 
tent ; his language may be put on record, and his 
traditions may be perpetuated. 

As before the revolution the colonies of France 
and Great Britain were connected by vicinity, by 
treaty, by trade, and by continual and habitual 
intercourse with the Five Nations, and other In- 
dians which occupied this state, we can obtain va- 
luable materials to illustrate this important period, 
from the libraries and public collections of those 
countries: many learned, elaborate, and interest- 
ing works have never been seen in America ; some 
are so scarce that they cannot be procured without 
the expense of transcribing ; and papers of great 
moment have never been printed. 

The regular minutes of the transactions of the 
Indian commissioners for this colony, from 1675 
to 1751, as kept by a secretary employed for the 
purpose, were bound up in four large folio vo- 
lumes. This invaluable collection, and the subse- 
quent colonial records relative to Indian affairs, 



are not now to be found in this state ; and tliey 
were probably conveyed away by Sir John John- 
son or his agents, at the commencement of the 
revolution. The loss of these documents would 
produce a chasm in our history that could not be 
supplied ; and we hope that they may still be re- 
trieved. Our concerns and negotiations with the 
Indians, since our existence as a state, have not 
been preserved in regular and complete order. 
They are scattered among the bureaus of our 
chief magistrates, or are buried in the voluminous 
jfiles of the legislature. 

To obtain materials for the Dutch portion of 
our history, comprizing an interesting period of 
half a century, we must have recourse to the pa- 
pers of the Dutch West India Company, and to 
the archives of the then government of that na- 
tion ; to the Dutch records of some of our coun- 
ties, and in the office of the secretary of state ; to 
the public offices in the neighbouring colonies 
with whose governments the Dutch had negotia- 
tions ; and to several books published in the Dutch 
and Latin languages, relative to this country, and 
which are scarcely known to us. The darkness 
which hangs over this branch, may be perceived 
in the history of New-York, written by Williau> 



Smith, a work which skims lightly over this inte 
resting period, leaving it almost entirely unnoticed. 

To supply that part of our history when we 
were subject to Great Britain, the most valuable 
materials may be obtained from various sources. 
From Chalmer's Political Annals it appears, that 
there are many manuscripts in the Plantation Of- 
fice, entitled. New- York Entries, and New- York / 
Papers. We find, ii? the catalogue of manuscripts ^ 
preserved in the British Museum, some writings | 
that refer particularly to this state ; and in the 
catalogue of books belonging to that institution, 
are preserved many works concerning America, in 
the Dutch, English, French, Spanish, and Latin 
Languages, affording a fund of information impor- 
tant and inestimable. We also know that there 
are many interesting books and manuscripts, rela- 
tive to this country, in the library of the Society 
for the Propagation of the Gospel in America; 
and perhaps much important information may be 
obtained from the public offices in Canada. 

The history of our country, since the com- 
mencement of the revolutionary war, is in a better 
state of preservation : but even here how many in- 
teresting events are passing into oblivion ; how 
many important facts are distorted and misrepre- 



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rented, how many illustrious achievements are for- 
gotten or neglected. Documents that may illumi- 
nate the obscure, explain the doubtful, and embalm 
the memories of the good and the great, may now 
be drawn from their dark abodes, where in a few 
years they will be forgotten or lost. Letters of 
distinguished individuals, fugitive pamphlets, per- 
ishable manuscripts, ought now to be obtained and 
preserved. The time is previous, and not a mo- 
ment should be lost. 

The only history of this member of the confede- 
racy is that of William Smith, which is brought 
down to the year 1732. Is it too much to say, that 
(he most important is the worst or least described 
part of the union ? 

Anxious as we are to explore these sources of in- 
telligence, and to collect these ample materials, yet 
we feel that the want of funds presents an obstacle 
that can only be surmounted by the liberality and 
public spirit of the legislature. We have done 
much, and we are willing to do more, in order to 
preserve the history of tlie state from oblivion. We 
are influenced by no other motive than that of ele- 
vating the c^,aracter, and promoting the prosperity 
of a commun'^y, to which we are bound by every 
tie that is deemed precious and sacred among men : 



And let it not be said that the exigencies of the 
times, and the pressure of a foreign war, render it 
inexpedient to apply the public bounty to this ob- 
ject. The state is rich in funds, rich in credit, and 
rich in resources ; and she ought to be rich in libe- 
rality and public spirit. Genuine greatness nevei 
appears in a more resplendent light, or in a more 
sublime attitude, than in that buoyancy of charac- 
ter which rises superior to danger and difficulty; 
in that magnanimity of soul which cultivates the 
arts and sciences amidst the horrors of war, and in 
that comprehension of mind which cherishes all the 
cardinal interests of a country, without being dis- 
tracted or diverted by the most appalling consi 
derations. 

We therefore most respectfully solicit the fa- 
vourable notice of the legislature, and we confi- 
dently hope that the result will be auspicious to 
the interests of literature, and to the honour of 
our country. 

By order and in behalf of the Society, 

JOHN PINTARD, 

Record -ig Secretarj. 
Kew-Yobk, Jflwwar^j 1814. 



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